Book and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro Music and Lyrics by David Bryan

A Monster of a Musical Comedy! It’s a Toxic Love Story with an Environmental Twist!

The Toxic Avenger, winner of the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical, is a hot toxic love story and laugh-out-loud musical that has it all—an unlikely hero, his beautiful girlfriend, a corrupt New Jersey mayor and two guys who play…well, everyone else…bullies, mobsters, old ladies, and stiletto-wearing back-up singers. Melvin Ferd the Third wants to clean up Tromaville, the most polluted town in New Jersey. Foiled by the mayor’s bullies, Melvin is dumped into a vat of radioactive toxic waste, only to reemerge as The Toxic Avenger, New Jersey’s first superhero. Affectionately known as Toxie, our new hero is a seven-foot mutant freak with superhuman strength and a heart as big as Newark. He’s out to save New Jersey, end global warming, and woo the blind librarian in town. The Toxic Avenger will leave audiences laughing in the aisles as it rocks the house.

Download the Press Release

Length & Content

The Toxic Avenger runs about 2 hours, including a 10-minute intermission.

This play contains bawdy jokes (sexual innuendo) and adult language (including 2 uses of the f-word, uses of the s-word, and a song entitled “Bitch, Slut, Whore”) and is not appropriate for children. Teenagers may think you are the coolest parent ever if you bring them.

This show utilizes strobe lighting and fog effects.

Handicap seating limited for this production. Please call to reserve if needed.

From the Artistic Director

Winner of the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical, The Toxic Avenger is a rockin’ hot toxic love story and musical comedy. Created by the dynamic writing duo behind the acclaimed musical Memphis, the book and lyrics are from Broadway veteran Joe DiPietro (author of the Off-Broadway and long-running Horizon hit I Love You, You’re Perfect Now Change), and music and lyrics are by Bon Jovi’s own David Bryan. Both born and bred in New Jersey, they jumped at the chance to team up on this adaptation of a campy cult movie set in the Garden State. The town of Tromaville is plagued by a corrupt mayor and her cronies and a mysteriously growing supply of toxic waste—if only there was an environmental super hero to save the day!

Enter the Toxic Avenger! I am not a huge super hero or monster movie fan, but I have been completely won over by Toxie and the comic crew who are chasing away the bad guys and the blues here at Horizon this winter. It’s a perfect kick off for Horizon’s 2016 season—a smart, funny tour-de-force for a tight ensemble of five powerhouse actor/singers. Leslie Bellair and Nick Arapoglou, playing the Mayor and Toxie, were part of our original cast of Avenue Q at Horizon, and here they team up with a trio of triple threat actors who rocked the Actor’s Express stage last season in Rent.

Horizon Artistic Associate, director Heidi McKerley, leads the comic charge with regular collaborator, musical director S. Renée Clark, back together after last summer’s third remount of Horizon’s multiple Suzi Award-winning sensation Avenue Q. They are right at home with DiPietro’s comedy, having directed his other smash I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change for three mountings at Horizon. Along with our resident designers Moriah and Isabel Curley-Clay on sets and costumes, and Mary Parker on lighting, they create the comic book world of The Toxic Avenger.

Everybody needs a super hero right now. Toxie is here to save the environment, make his world better and prove that good-hearted green geeks can get the girl and lead us to a brighter day. “Superheroes add purpose, meaning, and inspiration to a world often lacking in those qualities,” writes futurist Thomas Frey. “They tackle problems that are too tough for mere mortals to handle. They are better than we are. Sure they make mistakes, but we can always trust them to do what’s right in the end, even when it appears there are no right answers. They transcend politics, cross national, social, and geopolitical borders, and traverse race, ethnicity, and gender. They give hope to the downtrodden, inspiration to the oppressed, and a narrow window of escape for the beleaguered and exploited. Most importantly they make life fun again.”

May Toxie and friends make you laugh till you ache, give you a respite of hope, and inspire you to be your best super hero self. Do good, save the planet (or your neighborhood!) and hold high that glass that’s half full – and maybe you too will find it’s “a brand new day”!

Bring your neighbors!
Group pricing is available for parties of 10+. Groups of 10-24 receive $3 off the general admission ticket price. Groups of 25+ receive $5 off the general admission ticket price. Call 404.523.1477 x111 or e-mail marketing@horizontheatre.com for more information.

Ticket prices are subject to change. Buy early for best pricing. 8% sales tax will be added to all ticket orders. Internet convenience fee added to all online orders. No refunds, exchanges, or late seating.

“An amazing and entertaining show.”

“I loved it!”

“Only [a few] more weeks left to catch the funniest show ever!”

“Treemendous! Even though there are no trees in it. :-)”

“Wow, wow, wow! The Toxic Avenger at Horizon Theatre Company is not to be missed. Big voices, heartfelt emotion and solid acting earn this production two thumbs up.”

“This was my first visit to Horizon Theatre; it exceeded my expectations and I laughed for a full 2 hours. It was entertaining, hilarious, and just plain fun.”

“Just saw The Toxic Avenger musical at Horizon and it was great! Funny, clever, silly, and all-around awesome.”

“Hard to describe the level of talent! We are so fortunate to have such great performers and productions like this.”

“The Toxic Avenger was awesome! Great cast, hilarious writing and constant surprises. HTC is one of the hidden gems in Atlanta’s art scene.”

“So much fun, comedy, and excellent singing in the show. Go see it before it closes.”

“The cast of Toxic Avenger seriously killed it last night. I knew zero about it going in and already want to see it again.”

“The show was amazing!!!!!!”

“Great show!”

“Go see this show. You’ll have fun. I promise.”

“The show tonight was amazing! It’s a must do it you love theatre. Incredible singers in this production!”

“It is great! Fantastic cast. Very funny. Go see it Atlanta.”

Jersey Jump- Help Toxie fight toxic waste from your phone!

Check out the game Jersey Jump based on The Toxic Avenger! If you like Flappy bird, you’ll love this fun take on our hero. Available for iphone or android . Here’s a preview video of what you can expect: